Cleansing wipe dispenser

ABSTRACT

A cleansing wipe dispenser including a container closure adapted to mount on a container housing a series of cleansing wipes. A small wipe dispenser opening is provided to allow wipes to be passed from the container to a user through the dispenser. A relatively larger wipe access opening is provided and connected to the small wipe dispenser by a lateral transfer channel to allow a user to load the first sheet in the series of wipes into the small wipe dispenser opening easily at first use. The dispenser also includes a wipe storage well having a floor formed to include the dispenser and access openings and the lateral transfer channel and a well closure located to close a top opening into the wipe storage well whenever a user wishes to retain in the well any moisture associated with a cleansing wipe (or portion thereof) stored in the well.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a dispenser, and particularly to a dispenser for sheets of cleansing material. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a cleansing wipe dispenser for use with a roll of cleansing wipe sheets.

[0002] Cleansing wipes are usually made of a soft paper or cloth material moistened with a mild cleansing solution. People often use these wipes when they are away from soap and water. Various packages are used to store and dispense cleansing wipes.

[0003] According to this disclosure, a cleansing wipe dispenser comprises a container closure adapted to be coupled to an underlying container housing a series of cleansing wipes to be dispensed. It is within the scope of the disclosure to form the container to include a wipe dispenser opening, a relatively larger wipe access opening in spaced-apart relation to the wipe dispenser opening, and a lateral transfer channel interconnecting the wipe dispenser and access openings to enable a user to guide a cleansing wipe extending through the relatively larger wipe access opening laterally to a position extending through the relatively smaller wipe dispenser opening. It is also within the scope of this disclosure to provide a wipe storage well in the container closure and form the wipe dispenser and access openings as well as the lateral transfer channel in the floor of that wipe storage well.

[0004] In use, a person feeds a free end of a first sheet in a roll or other series of cleansing wipe sheets housed in a container first through the relatively larger access opening and then slides the sheet laterally through the lateral transfer channel where it is “held” in place in the relatively smaller wipe dispenser opening. An “exposed” portion of the first sheet is located in the wipe storage well formed in the container above the well floor and is ready to be dispensed and a “hidden” portion of the first sheet remains in the container under the floor of the wipe storage well.

[0005] As the first cleansing wipe sheet is pulled out of the wipe storage well, a second sheet in the roll is pulled partly through the wipe dispenser opening formed in the wipe storage well floor before the first sheet separates from the trailing second sheet. After the first sheet is dispensed, any “exposed” potion of the second sheet extant in the wipe storage well can be preserved in a moist state therein by moving a well closure to cover a top opening into the wipe storage wall.

[0006] In an illustrative embodiment, the wipe dispenser opening has a “plus sign” shape and the relatively larger access opening has a “round” shape and a diameter of about 0.6 inch (1.5 cm). The lateral transfer channel is defined by a pair of spaced-apart side edges that converge as they extend from the access opening to the dispenser opening.

[0007] Additional features of the present disclosure will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon consideration of the following detailed description of preferred embodiments exemplifying the best mode of carrying out the disclosure as presently perceived.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] The detailed description particularly refers to the accompanying figures in which:

[0009]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cleansing wipe dispenser mounted on top of a container housing a roll of cleansing wipes (shown in phantom);

[0010]FIG. 2 is a partial sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1 showing a roll of wipes in a container formed to include a top opening closed by a seal sheet and showing a cleansing wipe dispenser comprising a container closure, a wipe storage well coupled to the container closure, and a well closure coupled to the container closure and positioned to close a top opening of the wipe storage well;

[0011]FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the cleansing wipe dispenser of FIG. 2 after movement of the well closure to an opened position showing that the floor of the wipe storage well is arranged to overlie the seal sheet and the roll of wipes and is formed to include a “round” wipe access opening, a “plus sign”-shaped wipe dispenser opening, and a laterally extending wipe transfer channel interconnecting the access and dispenser openings;

[0012]FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing an initial step to ready cleansing wipes to be dispensed from the container and showing temporary removal of the cleansing wipe dispenser from the container, discard of the seal sheet from the container, and passage of a first cleansing wipe in the roll of wipes through the round access opening formed in the wipe storage wall floor while the well closure is opened;

[0013]FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 3 after the cleansing wipes have been manipulated as shown in FIG. 4 and the container closure has been remounted on the container and showing the first cleansing wipe in the roll of wipes while it is still in place extending from the container through the round access opening into the wipe storage well;

[0014]FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5 after the first cleansing wipe has been moved laterally through the wipe transfer channel to reach the wipe dispenser opening; and

[0015]FIG. 7 is a partial sectional view similar to FIG. 2 showing a cleansing wipe housed in the wipe storage well included in the cleansing wipe dispenser and covered by well closure which has been moved to close the top opening of the well closure to maximize retention of any moisture associated with the cleansing wipe in the wipe storage well.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] A cleansing wipe dispenser 10 is coupled to a container 12 housing a roll 14 of cleansing wipes 16 as shown, for example, in FIGS. 1-3. Dispenser 10 is formed to include a relatively small wipe dispenser opening 18 through which all wipes 16 pass as they are dispensed as shown, for example, in FIG. 6. A relatively larger access opening 20 is formed in dispenser 10 and connected to wipe dispenser opening 18 by a lateral transfer channel 22 to make it easy for a user to “load” the first wipe 16 in roll 14 into the relatively small wipe dispenser opening 18 as suggested in FIGS. 4-6. Dispenser 10 is also formed to include a wipe storage well 24 above wipe dispenser opening 18 to store an “exposed” portion of a wipe 16 that has not yet been dispensed from container 12 as shown, for example, in FIG. 7.

[0017] Dispenser 10 comprises a container closure 26 and a well closure 28 in addition to wipe storage well 24 as shown, for example, in FIGS. 1-3. Well closure 28 is mounted for movement relative to container closure 26 to open and close a top opening 25 into wipe storage well 24 as shown, for example, in FIGS. 1-4.

[0018] Container closure 26 includes a closure shell 30 having a ceiling 32 and a cylindrical side wall 34 depending from an outer periphery of ceiling 32 as shown, for example, in FIG. 2. It is within the scope of this disclosure to shape closure shell 30 as needed to mate with an underlying container housing cleansing wipes. Container closure 26 further includes a container mount 36 adapted to be coupled to container 12 as shown, for example, in FIG. 2. In an illustrative embodiment, container mount 36 is a radially inwardly extending flange appended to an inner surface of cylindrical side wall 34 near a lowermost edge of cylindrical side wall 34.

[0019] Container 12 includes a cylindrical side wall 37 and a bottom wall 38 which cooperates with side wall 37 to form a region receiving roll 14 of cleansing wipes 16 as shown, for example, in FIGS. 1 and 2. A flange-receiving groove or other mount receiver 39 is formed near the uppermost edge of container side wall 37 to mate with annular flange 36 to mount closure shell 30 on container 12. It is within the scope of this disclosure to use any suitable means to mount closure shell 30 on container 12.

[0020] A seal sheet 35 made, for example, of a plastics material is coupled to the uppermost edge of container side wall 37 at a packaging plant to seal the interior region of the container 12 to contain any moisture associated with moist cleansing wipes 16 therein. Seal sheet 35 is removed from container 12 and discarded when a cleansing wipe 16 in roll 14 is first “loaded” into dispenser 10 as suggested in FIG. 4.

[0021] Wipe storage well 24 is coupled to closure shell 30 and formed to include a cleansing wipe storage region 42 having top opening 25 as shown, for example, in FIGS. 2, 4, and 7. Wipe storage well 24 includes a floor 44 formed as shown, for example, in FIG. 3 to include wipe dispenser opening 18, relatively larger wipe access opening 20, and the lateral transfer channel 22 located and sized to allow passage of a cleansing wipe 16 therethrough as it passes from wipe access opening 20 to wipe dispenser opening 18.

[0022] Wipe storage well 24 also includes an upstanding side wall 46 having an upper portion coupled to ceiling 32 of closure shell 30 and a lower portion coupled to floor 44. The upper portion is formed to include an annular rim 48 arranged to define top opening 25 of wipe storage well 24 as shown, for example, in FIGS. 2 and 3.

[0023] Well closure 28 includes a lid 50 appended to container closure 26 at lid hinge 52 for pivotable movement about a pivot axis 54 as shown, for example, in FIGS. 2 and 3. An annular retainer 56 is appended to lid 50 and sized to mate with annular rim 48 to retain well closure 28 in the closed position as shown, for example, in FIG. 2. A lift tab 58 is appended to lid 50 and provided to lie in tab holder 60 formed in ceiling 32 of closure shell 30. A user can lift upwardly on lift tab 58 to move well closure 28 to the opened position shown in FIG. 3.

[0024] Floor 44 of wipe storage well 24 is arranged to lie below and in spaced-apart relation to ceiling 32 of closure shell 30 as shown, for example, in FIG. 2. In an illustrative embodiment, container mount 36 is located to lie in spaced-apart relation to and surround floor 44 of wipe storage well 24. In an illustrative embodiment, floor 44 is round and has a diameter of about 1.4 inches (3.5 cm) and side wall 46 is elongated to provide wipe storage well 24 with a depth of about 0.8 inch (2 cm). Cylindrical side wall 34 of container closure 26 is arranged to surround cylindrical side wall 46 of wipe storage well 24 as suggested, for example, in FIGS. 2 and 3.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 3, wipe dispenser opening 18 is bounded by four quadrant tabs 181, 182, 183, and 184. Tab 181 is located in a “northeast” position, tab 182 is located in a “southeast” position, tab 183 is located in a “southwest” position, and tab 184 is located in a “northwest” position. All four tabs 181-84 cooperate to form a small round aperture and each pair of adjacent tabs cooperate to define a short slit extending radially outwardly from the small round aperture so as to define a “north” slit between tabs 184 and 181, an “east” slit between tabs 181 and 182, a “south” slit between tabs 182 and 183, and a “west” slit between tabs 183 and 184. The four slits are arranged to provide wipe dispenser opening 18 with a plus-sign shape as shown, for example, in FIG. 3.

[0026] As a wipe 16 is passed through wipe dispenser opening 18, one or more of the four quadrant tabs 181-4 deflect to allow passage of wipe 16 therethrough and also tend to move back from their deflected position toward their original undeflected positions to provide means for retaining a wipe 16 in wipe dispenser opening 18 while an exposed portion of wipe 16 lies in wipe storage well 24 and a remaining unexposed portion of wipe 16 lies in underlying container 12 as shown, for example, in FIG. 7. It is within the scope of this disclosure to shape wipe dispenser opening 18 as needed to dispense wipes 16 therethrough in a desired manner.

[0027] In an illustrative embodiment, an inlet end of lateral transfer channel 22 opens into wipe access opening 20 and an outlet end of channel 22 opens into the east slit of wipe dispenser opening 18 as shown, for example, in FIGS. 3, 5, and 6. As also shown therein, in an illustrative embodiment, floor 44 is formed to include a pair of side edges 221 and 222 that converge along a reference line 11 (extending through the east and west slits and bisecting the north and south slits) from wipe access opening 20 in a direction toward wipe dispenser opening 18. These side edges 221, 222 cooperate to define lateral transfer channel 22 and assist in guiding wipe 16 from relatively larger wipe access opening 20 to the smaller round aperture of wipe dispenser opening 18.

[0028] In an illustrative embodiment, wipe access opening 20 is round and has a diameter of about 0.6 inches (1.5 cm). Wipe access opening 20 and lateral transfer channel 22 cooperate to form a wipe feeder opening lying in side-by-side relation to wipe dispenser opening 18 and having an area greater than two square inches (five square centimeters). It is within the scope of this disclosure to vary the shape of the interior edge formed in floor 44 to border the wipe feeder opening 20, 22 as needed to guide a wipe 16 into wipe dispenser opening 18 in a suitable manner.

[0029] In use, as shown best in FIG. 4, a free end 62 of a first wipe 16 (in a roll 14 or other series of wipes 16) is fed through relatively larger wipe access aperture 20 formed in well floor 44 after dispenser 10 and seal sheet 35 have been removed from container 12. First wipe 16 is then slid laterally through lateral transfer channel 22 where it is held in place in the relatively smaller wipe dispenser opening 18. As a first cleansing wipe 16 is pulled out of wipe storage well 24, a trailing second cleansing wipe 16 is pulled partly through wipe dispenser opening 8 before the first cleansing wipe 16 separates from the trailing second cleansing wipe 16. After the first wipe 16 is dispensed, any exposed portion of the second wipe 16 extant in wipe storage well 24 can be preserved in a moist state therein by moving well closure 28 to the closed position as shown, for example, in FIG. 7. 

1. A cleansing wipe dispenser comprising a container closure including a container mount adapted to be coupled to an underlying container housing a series of cleansing wipes to be dispensed and a closure shell arranged to extend upwardly from the container mount, a wipe storage well coupled to the closure shell and formed to include a cleansing wipe storage region having a top opening, the wipe storage well including a floor formed to include a wipe dispenser opening to allow movement of cleansing wipes into the wipe storage region therethrough, and a well closure coupled to the closure shell for movement between an opened position lying away from the top opening of the wipe storage well to enable a user to remove a cleansing wipe from the wipe storage well and a closed position covering the top opening of the wipe storage well to block removal of a cleansing wipe stored therein.
 2. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the wipe storage well further includes an upstanding side wall having an upper portion coupled to the closure shell and a lower portion coupled to the floor.
 3. The dispenser of claim 2, wherein the upper portion is formed to include an annular rim arranged to define the top opening of the wipe storage well and sized to mate with a retainer appended to the well closure to retain the well closure in the closed position.
 4. The dispenser of claim 2, wherein the closure shell includes a ceiling coupled to the upper portion of the upstanding side wall and the floor of the wipe storage well is arranged to lie below and in spaced-apart relation to the ceiling.
 5. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the closure shell includes a ceiling coupled to the wipe storage well and the floor is arranged to lie below and in spaced-apart relation to the ceiling.
 6. The dispenser of claim 5, wherein the closure shell further includes a side wall having an upper portion coupled to the ceiling and a lower portion coupled to the container mount and the container mount is located to lie in spaced-apart relation to and surround the floor of the wipe storage well.
 7. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the wipe storage well further includes a cylindrical side wall having an upper portion coupled to the closure shell and a lower portion coupled to the floor, the floor has a round shape and a diameter, and the cylindrical side wall has a height that is about one-half of the diameter of the floor.
 8. The dispenser of claim 7, wherein the closure shell includes a ceiling coupled to the upper portion of the cylindrical side wall of the wipe storage well and a cylindrical side wall having an upper portion coupled to the ceiling and a lower portion coupled to the container mount, and the cylindrical side wall of the closure shell is arranged to surround the cylindrical side wall of the wipe storage well.
 9. The dispenser of claim 8, wherein a height of the cylindrical side wall of the closure shell is about equal to a height of the cylindrical side wall of the wipe storage well.
 10. The dispenser of claim 8, wherein the floor has a round shape and a diameter and the cylindrical side wall of the closure shell has a height that is about one-half of the diameter of the floor.
 11. The dispenser of claim 1, wherein the floor is formed to include a dispenser opening and a relatively larger wipe feeder opening communicating with the dispenser opening.
 12. The dispenser of claim 11, wherein the dispenser opening has a plus-sign shape and the floor includes an interior edge arranged to define the wipe feeder opening and provide the wipe feeder opening with an area greater than two square inches.
 13. The dispenser of claim 12, wherein the interior edge is arranged to provide a circular access opening defining one portion of the wipe feeder opening and having a diameter of about 0.6 inch (1.5 cm) and a pair of side edges converging along a line extending from the circular access opening to the plus sign-shaped dispenser opening and providing a lateral transfer channel defining another portion of the wipe feeder opening and interconnecting the dispenser and access openings so that a cleansing wipe extending through the access opening can be passed through the lateral transfer channel to lie in the dispenser opening and extend into the wipe storage well.
 14. A cleansing wipe dispenser comprising a container closure including a container mount adapted to be coupled to an underlying container housing a series of cleansing wipes to be dispensed, a closure shell arranged to extend upwardly from the container mount, and a central portion coupled to the closure shell and formed to include a dispenser opening and a relatively larger wipe feeder opening communicating with the dispenser opening and lying in side-by-side relation to the dispenser opening.
 15. The dispenser of claim 14, further comprising a well closure mounted for movement relative to the container closure between an opened position lying away from the central portion and a closed position covering the dispenser opening and the relatively larger wipe feeder opening.
 16. The dispenser of claim 15, wherein the central portion includes a floor formed to include the dispenser and wipe feeder openings and a side wall having an upper portion coupled to the closure shell and a lower portion coupled to the floor, the side wall and floor cooperate to define a wipe storage well above the floor, and the well closure is sized to close a top opening into the wipe storage well upon movement of the well closure to the closed position.
 17. The dispenser of claim 14, wherein the cental portion includes an interior edge arranged to define the wipe feeder opening and provide the wipe feeder opening with an area greater than two square inches (five square centimeters).
 18. The dispenser of claim 17, wherein the interior edge is arranged to provide an access opening defining one portion of the wipe feeder opening and lying in spaced-apart relation to the dispenser opening and a lateral transfer channel defining another portion of the wipe feeder opening and interconnecting the spaced-apart dispenser and access openings so that a cleansing wipe extending through the access opening can be passed through the lateral transfer channel to lie in the dispenser opening.
 19. The dispenser of claim 18, wherein interior edge includes a circle-shaped side edge to provide the access opening with a circular shape and a diameter of about 0.6 inch (1.5 cm).
 20. The dispenser of claim 19, wherein the interior edge further includes a pair of side edges converging along a line from the circular access opening to the dispenser opening and providing the lateral transfer channel.
 21. The dispenser of claim 18, wherein the interior edge includes a pair of side edges converging along a line from the access opening to the dispenser opening and providing the lateral transfer channel.
 22. The dispenser of claim 14, wherein the central portion includes a floor formed to include the dispenser and wipe feeder openings and a side wall having an upper portion coupled to the closure shell and a lower portion coupled to the floor and the side wall and floor cooperate to define a wipe storage well above the floor.
 23. The dispenser of claim 22, further comprising a well closure coupled to the closure shell for movement between an opened position lying away from the wipe storage well and a closed portion lying over the floor and covering the wipe storage well.
 24. The dispenser of claim 22, wherein the side wall of the central portion has a cylindrical shape, the closure shell includes a ceiling coupled to the cylindrical side wall of the central portion and a cylindrical side wall depending from the ceiling and carrying the container mount, and the cylindrical side wall of the closure shell is arranged to surround the cylindrical side wall of the central portion.
 25. A cleansing wipe dispenser comprising a container closure adapted to be coupled to an underlying container housing a series of cleansing wipes to be dispensed, wherein the container closure is formed to include a dispenser opening, an access opening in spaced-apart relation to the dispenser opening, and a lateral transfer channel interconnecting the spaced-apart dispenser and access openings to provide means for guiding a cleansing wipe extending through the access opening to a position extending through the dispenser opening.
 26. The dispenser of claim 25, wherein the dispenser opening has a plus-sign shape and the access opening has a substantially circular shape.
 27. The dispenser of claim 26, wherein the container closure includes a pair of interior side edges converging along a line extending from the circular access opening to the plus sign-shaped dispenser opening and defining the lateral transfer channel therebetween.
 28. The dispenser of claim 26, wherein the container closure includes an interior edge arranged to provide the circular access opening with a diameter of about 0.6 inch (1.5 cm). 